Restaurant booth with snap away back

ABSTRACT

A restaurant booth structure is disclosed wherein only the supporting understructure of the booth including the base and vertical support members are permanently installed in the restaurant. Both the upholstered seat and back portions of the booth are removably attached to the supporting understructure so as to enable the replacement of these portions by newly upholstered portions at the site of the booth. To facilitate the replacement, the back portion of the booth is constructed to be connected by quick fasteners to the vertical support members.

United States Patent [1 1 Greitzer 1 Aug, 7, 1973.

[54] RESTAURANT BOOTH WITH SNAP AWAY 2,936,025 /1960 Kaufmann .1 297/193 BACK 3,171,685 3/1965 Hershberger et a1. 297/158 X 7 t 5] lnven or llsllipn A Greltzer, Los Angeles, Primary Examiner paul R Gilliam Att0rneyVern0n D. Beehler, Gene W. Arant. Bruce [73] Assignee: Imperial Data Corporation, Los A. Jagger and George F. Bethel Angeles, Calif. [22] Fi1ed: Aug. 12, 1971 [57] ABSTRACT Appl. No.: 171,058

A restaurant booth structure is disclosed wherein only the supporting understructure of the booth including the base and vertical support members are permanently installed in the restaurant Both the upholstered Sent [58] Field 157 158 and back portions of the booth are removably attached 297/455 to the supporting understructure so as to enable the replacement of these portions by newly upholstered portions at the site of the booth. To facilitate the replace- [56] References Cited ment, the back portion of the booth is constructed to UNITED STATES PATENTS be connected by quick fasteners to the vertical support 3,584,916 6/1971 Bayes 297/446 members, 2,604,930 7/1952 Dean et al. 297/158 X 2,907.378 10/1959 Barecki 297/193 1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures lapi 26 5/ 1 I '5 1 7 1 1 7 59 v i a i 52 y -i -55 i h I A 5 145a. 1 y I 39 "I i 53 t 32" t \I (M \L Y 1 /\3O k7 J; 1 a "1 74 .2. w sf a 2/ 1 r v i i v m\ 1? I 1 k.

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sum 1 or 4 [N VEN 7'02 MEL Wm H. 625/7252 RESTAURANT BOOTH WITH SNAP AWAY BACK This invention relates to restaurant booth structures and more particularly to a restaurant booth constructed to provide a readily removable and replaceable upholstered back portion therefor.

It is the usual practice of a restaurant chain to remodel dining areas of its restaurants every few years or so by reupholstering its booths. In the past it has been customary to construct these booths with removable seat cushions to enable the cleaning of the booths. However, the remaining upholstered parts for the booths, and particularly the upholstered back portions of the booths, are usually permanently installed and in order to renovate the booths it is necessary to dismantle and return them to the factory for the necessary reupholstering and repair. Thus during the period that the booths are in the factory the restaurant cannot operate, resulting in a loss of business.

The present invention provides a novel construction for a restaurant booth which permits the upholstered back portions therefor to be readily removed from the supporting understructure for the booth along with the upholstered seat portions therefor such as to facilitate the remodeling of the dining area in a restaurant. The booth construction of the present invention thus enables the upholstered back and seat portions to be readily replacedby newly upholstered portions, at the site and in a matter of minutes, and the worn out portions returned to the factory for the necessary reupholstering and repair. These back and seat portions, after being renovated, can then, in turn, be used to replace the worn out portions of booths in another restaurant of the chain and thus enables each of the restaurants to continue operating with no loss of businessdue to the remodeling of the booths.

Accordingly, one of the objects of the invention is to provide a novel design for an upholstered restaurant booth which facilitates and simplifies the reupholstering and repair thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a restaurant booth with a readily removable upholstered back portion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a restaurant booth that is provided with a fully upholstered back portion which after wear can be readily removed and replaced by a new back portion at the site of the installation of the booth.

Another object of the invention is to provide a restaurant booth wherein both the back and seat portions therefor are completely upholstered so as to have a pleasing appearance and wherein both these portions can be readily removed and replaced by similarly designed new portions.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a restaurant booth provided with a fully upholstered back portion which is connected by fasteners to the permanently installed understructure of the booth so that the back portion can be readily disengaged from and engaged onto the understructure.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of the construction, arrangement, and combinations of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fully upholstered embodiment of a restaurant booth incorporating readily removable upholstered back and seat portions in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the booth shown in FIG. 1 as taken along lines 2-2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing the component parts of the embodiment of the restaurant booth of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an upholstered restaurant booth provided with a fiberglass seat support;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the booth in FIG. 4 as taken along line 5-5 thereof;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing the component parts of the embodiment of the restaurant booth of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a detail view showing the slotted bottom 'member of the back frame positioned on the vertical support member as taken along lines 77 of FIG. 2. Referring to FIGS. l-3 of the drawings, a fully upholstered embodiment of a restaurant booth 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown. The booth 10 includes a supporting understructure in the form of a base 13 comprised of a front member 14, side members 15a and 15b, and a bottom member 17. The supporting understructure for the booth further includes vertical support members 19a and 19b that are attached to and extend above the back of the side members 15a and 15b respectively. The supporting understructure for the booth is positioned with the base 13 on the floor 22 and with the vertical support members 19a and 19b against a wall or partition 23. The supporting understructure is then permanently installed in that position in the dining area of a restaurant by steel pins 24 that are driven through the bottom member 17 of the base 13 into the floor 22 and by steel pins 26 that are driven through each of the vertical support members 19a and 19b into the wall 23. The mernbers comprising the understructure so far described are formed of wood. A horizontally disposed rear stop member 30 which is also formed of wood is attached across the top of the base 13 so as to abut against the vertical support members 19a and 19b. A crumb rail 18 is then positioned on the top of the rear stop member 30. The crumb rail 18 in this embodiment is preferably made of wood with a covering 39 of upholstering material such as vinyl although the crumb rail could be formed of fiberglass. It should be noted that the vertical support members 19a and 19b are provided with shoulders 45a and 45b located at the same level as the top of the crumb rail 18 when the latter is positioned on member 30. A removable seat portion 20 including a rectangular wood seat frame with a seat cushion 35 mounted thereon is supported on the base 13. The wood seat frame comprises a front member 31, a rear member 32 and side members 33a and 33b. The seat cushion 35 is formed of a thickness of polyfoam 36 with a sisal fiber bottom covering 37 and the entire outer surface of the cushion including the front member 31 and the side members 33a and 33b of the wood frame are covered with the covering 39 of upholstering material such as vinyl. Coil springs or other type of seat springs (not shown) may be provided below the sisal bottom covering 37 of the'cushion 35. The seat frame rests on the top of the base 13, as shown in FIG. 2, with the back member 32 of the seat frame abutting against the front of the crumb rail 18. When so positioned a horizontal projecting member 38 attached on the lower surface of the back member 32 extends underneath the rear stop member 30, and a vertical projecting member 40 attached to the front member 31 of the frame extends down behind the front member 14 with the ends of member 40 contracting the side walls 15a and 15b of the base 13 to hold the seat in position. As shown in FIG. 2, the seat 20 includes a false bottom wall 43 which is also covered by the covering 39 of upholstering material. The exposed front and side walls of the base 13 may be covered with a linoleum 44 to provide a finished appearance.

Next to be described is the removable back portion of the booth 10. The back portion 25 comprises a rectangular frame with a back cushion 50 mounted thereon. The back cushion is formed of a thickness of polyfoam 51 with a sisal fiber bottom covering 52. The wood back frame is comprised of a top member 46, a bottom member 47 and side members 48a and 48b (see FIG. 3). When viewed from the side, as shown in FIG. 2, the bottom member 47 of the back frame is wider than the top member 46 and the front surface of member 47 extends forward of the front surface of member 46 so as to support the cushion 50 at an inclined angle. The top of the back cushion 50 extends above the top member 46 and the bottom of the back cushion 50 contacts the front side of the bottom member 47. Seat springs (not shown) may be provided on the back of the sisal bottom covering 52 for the cushion. The covering 39 of upholstering material for the back portion 25 covers the outer surface of the back cushion 50 and extends about the back of the top member 46 and the bottom member 47 of the back frame so as to prvovide a fully upholstered back portion. The bottom member 47 is provided with slots 55 cut out near either end thereof, as shown in FIG. 7, in which the vertical support members 19a and 19b fit when the frame for the back portion 25 is positioned with its bottom member resting on the top of the crumb rail 18 and its top member 46 resting on the top of the vertical support members 19a and 19b.

Quick fastener members provided with engaging or locking projections on the surface thereof are attached on the top of the vertical support members 19a and 19b and also on the front of the vertical support members 19a and 19b above the shoulders 45a and 45b thereof. Similar mating quick fastener members 62 provided with locking projections on the surface thereof are attached to the bottom surface of the top member 46 of the back frame and the back of the slots 55 cut near the ends of the bottom member 47. The quick fastener members 60-62 are of the type, for example, the plastic Hedlock fasteners sold by Minnesota Mining and Mfg. Co., which provide for the locking projections on the members 60 and 62 to interlock or engage when pressure is applied and to be unlocked or disengaged when the members 60 and 62 are abruptly pulled apart. Accordingly, after the frame of the back portion 25 is placed in position on the vertical support members 19a and 19b, the installer may hit the back portion 25 with the palm of his hand in the vicinity of the quick fasteners 60-62 to cause these fasteners to engagingly hold the back portion 25 firmly and securely in position on the vertical support members 190 and 19b. Likewise by aburptly pulling the back portion 25 up and away from the vertical support members 1911 and 19b the installer can readily disengaged the quick fasteners 60-62 and enable the back portion 25 to be removed from the vertical support members 19a and 19b.

It should be understood that any type of quick fasteners may be used which provide for readily fastening the back portion 25 onto the vertical support members 19a and 19b in such a manner that the back portion 25 becomes a useful part of the booth, and, for readily unfastening the back portion 25 when it is desired to replace the back portion by a newly upholstered unit. Upholstered panels 27a and 27b are held on the side members 48a and 48b of the back portion 25 by dowel pins 28 positioned in holes 29. A spot of glue on the ends of the pins 28 may be used to hold them in position.

Reference will next be made to the embodiment of the restaurant booth shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 inclusive. This embodiment differs from that shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive, primarily in the form of the base supporting understructure provided for the removable seat portions of the booth. Thus as best noted in FIGS. 5 and 6, the base 67 for the booth 63 is in the form of a box provided with a from member 68, a rear member 69, side members 70a and 70b, and a bottom member 71. The base 67 rests on the floor 78 with the rear member 69 abutting the wall 80. Steel pins 81 are driven through the bottom member 71 into the floor 78. Resting on the base 67 in such a manner as to be held in position thereon is a seat support 65 which is a fiberglass molding in the form of a shell with the crumb rail 66 integrally formed on the back thereof. Secured beneath the upper surface of the shell by screws 86 is a member 85 formed of wood. Member 85 rests on a top member 72 of the base 67 when the seat support 65 is positioned with its crumb rail 66 adjacent the wall 80 and beneath the vertical support members 83a and 83b.

The removable seat portion 64 is comprised of a rectangular wood seat frame with a seat cushion 61 mounted thereon. Seat cushion 61 is constructed similarly to the seat cushion 35 in FIGS. 1-3. The seat frame comprises front members 73, rear member 74, and side members 75a and 75b. A lengthwise member 76 on the bottom of the seat frame is provided with a positioning dowel 77. An opening 79 is provided in the center of the upper surface of the seat support 65. The entire outer surface of the seat cushion 61 and the seat frame including the bottom of members 73, 74 and 7 5a and 75b are provided with a covering 39 of upholstering material such as vinyl. When the seat frame is positioned on support 65 with the dowel 77 fitted in the opening 79, the back member 74 of the seat frame is adjacent the front vertical wall of the crumb rail66 and the area covered by the seat portion 64 is coextensive with the top of the support 65. It should be noted that the false wall for the seat portion 64 is formed by the sides 75 of the fiberglass seat support 65.

The supporting structure for the removable back portion 82 in the embodiment of FIGS. 4-6 comprises a pair of vertical support members 83a and 83b which rest on the top of the crumb rail 66 integrally formed as a part of the support 65. Members 83a and 83b are secured to the back wall or partition 87 by steel pins 89.

The back portion 82 comprises a back cushion 84 and a back frame which are constructed similarly to that described for the back portion 25 in FIGS. 1-3. Thus the back frame is comprised of a top member 90, a bottom member 91 and side members 92a and 92b and the entire outer surface of the cushion 50 as well as the upper and back surface of the top member 90 and the lower surface of the bottom member 91 are provided with a covering 39 of upholstering material such as vinyl.

In a manner similarly described in FIGS. 1-3, quick fastener members 94 on the top and front sides of the support members 83a and 83b cooperate with mating quick fastener members 95 on the members 90 and 91 of the back frame to enable the upholstered back portion 82 to be readily removable and replaceable.

It should be noted that the end panels 93a and 9312 are respectfully attached to the side members 92a and 92b of the back frame by dowel pins 96 positioned in holes 97. The end panels 93a and 93b extend downwardly only to the top of the crumb rail 66 leaving the entire side surface of the fiberglass seat support 65 including the crumb rail 66 portion exposed as a finished surface.

It should be further noted that the construction of a restaurant booth with a removable upholstered seat and back portion, as herein disclosed, is applicable to shapes of booths other than the straight back booth arrangement shown in the drawings. Thus the arrangement for the booth may be circular, serpentine or oval.

While the description has been concerned with a particular structural embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that many variations in construction and arrangement may be provided for without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The present invention is therefore to be considered as including all such possible modifications and variations coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A restaurant booth comprising:

a supporting understructure including a base and a pair of spaced vertical support members disposed on the back of and extending above the upper surface of said base;

said supporting understructure being permanently installed by securing said base to the floor of and said vertical support members on the wall of a restaurant;

an upholstered seat portion including a seat frame 6 having a seat cushion mounted thereon, said seat portion removably supported on the base of said 1 understructure; an upholstered back portion including a back frame having a horizontally disposed upper member and a horizontally disposed lower member and a back cushion mounted on said back frame to slope downwardly-forwardly from the upper member toward the lower member thereof, said upholstered back portion providing for completely enclosing the top, bottom and sides of its back frame;

fastener members having closely spaced-apart bristlelike locking projections on the face thereof secured to the top and lower front surfaces of said vertical support members, and mating fastener members with closely space-apart bristlelike mating locking projections on the face thereof secured to spaced locations on the undersurface of said upper member and to spaced locations on the back surface of the lower member of said back frame;

said back portion being positioned in a stable position by gravity on said pair of vertical support members with the fastener members on the spaced locations on the undersurface of the upper member of the back frame bearing on the mating fastener members on the top surface of said pair of vertical support members and with the fastener members on the spaced locations on the back surface of the lower member of the back frame bearing against the mating fastener members on the front surfaces of said pair of vertical support members, and with the back of the upholstered top and sides of said back portion contacting said wall; and

whereby when manual pressure is applied on said portion from said vertical support members. 

1. A restaurant booth comprising: a supporting understructure including a base and a pair of spaced vertical support members disposed on the back of and extending above the upper surface of said base; said supporting understructure being permanently installed by securing said base to the floor of and said vertical support members on the wall of a restaurant; an upholstered seat portion including a seat frame having a seat cushion mounted thereon, said seat portion removably supported on the base of said understructure; an upholstered back portion including a back frame having a horizontally disposed upper member and a horizontally disposed lower member and a back cushion mounted on said back frame to slope downwardly-forwardly from the upper member toward the lower member thereof, said upholstered back portion providing for completely enclosing the top, bottom and sides of its back frame; fastener members having closely spaced-apart bristlelike locking projections on the face thereof secured to the top and lower front surfaces of said vertical support members, and mating fastener members with closely space-apart bristlelike mating locking projections on the face thereof secured to spaced locations on the undersurface of said upper member and to spaced locations on the back surface of the lower member of said back frame; said back portion being positioned in a stable position by gravity on said pair of vertical support members with the fastener members on the spaced locations on the undersurface of the upper member of the back frame bearing on the mating fastener members on the top surface of said pair of vertical support members and with the fastener members on the spaced locations on the back surface of the lower member of the back frame bearing against the mating fastener members on the front surfaces of said pair of vertical support members, and with the back of the upholstered top and sides of said back portion contacting said wall; and whereby when manual pressure is applied on said back portion in the vicinity of said bearing surfaces the projections on said mating fastener members interlock and provide for attaching said back portion to said vertical support members and when said back portion is manually abruptly pulled outwardly and upwardly away from said vertical support members the projections of said mating fastener members are disengaged to detach said back portion from said vertical support members. 